Johnny Marr and Andy Rourke Johnny Marr – Lollapalooza – Autódromo de Interlagos in São Paulo, Brasil – 6 April 2014 Andy Rourke joined Johnny and the band on ‘How Soon Is Now?’ ‘How Soon Is Now?’ – Video by AnaCarolMurray “Hanging out in São Paulo” from Andy Rourke “Hanging out in São Paulo” from Andy Rourke Angie, Johnny, Matthias and Andy from andyrourke.com 2013 Johnny Marr with Andy Rourke – Music Hall Of Williamsburg – Brooklyn, New York – 3 May 2013 Andy joined Johnny on ‘How Soon Is Now? When I was fifteen, I formed one of the first bands with my best friend. He was at that time the best musician, one of the best musicians I’d ever heard. We were just kids. Then in 1982, I formed a band in Manchester and I asked my best friend to come play the bass with me. And he was still one of the best musicians I’d ever heard.

And tonight thirty years later, I’m gonna invite one of my best friends in the world, and he’s still one of the best musicians I’ve ever heard. From The Smiths, Mr. Andy Rourke! Johnny Marr onstage at Music Hall Of Williamsburg > ‘How Soon Is Now?’ – Video by verbalalchemy “The Messenger” is full of intricate, interlocking guitar parts as well as riffs and solos. But as Andy Rourke, the bass player in the Smiths, noted, Mr. Marr has made a point of bringing those embellishments forward in the mix, rather than burying or muddying them. “I still love the Smiths’ songs and the way they sound, but texturally they sound a lot thinner than what Johnny’s doing right now,” said Mr. Rourke, who now lives in New York, where he leads a duo, Jetlag, and has a Web radio show … “It’s kind of a wall of sound, but not in a mushy way.

It’s clear, but it’s a kind of 360-degree sound.” Pitchfork Andy Rourke with Abbey Braden – Virgin Livehouse (video interview) – Live From SXSW – 20 March 2012 And he did a great job on remastering all the The Smiths box set, and all that. I don’t think people realize it took him, I think, nearly a year and a half to get all that shit together. He did a great job…I can hear the bass now, which is great. Andy Rourke on Virgin Livehouse 2011 DNAinfo – The Smiths’ Andy Rourke Finds a Home on East Village Radio by Patrick Hedlund – 8 March 2011 Andy Rourke, the group’s bassist and a recent East Village transplant, has been hosting a two-hour weekly show on the online station for the past year, featuring an eclectic playlist of his personal favorites — including a smattering of tracks from his former band. “They’re curious about The Smiths connection and what I’m going to play,” said Rourke, 47, of what attracts listeners to his two-hour afternoon segment.

“They certainly expect a couple.” But his weekly show hasn’t become one of the most popular among the station’s dozens of broadcasts by Rourke simply reliving his days with the English quartet. “Basically, it’s just music that I’ve grown up with and collected over time,” he said, navigating everything from The Rolling Stones and Elvis Costello to De La Soul and MGMT during his most recent Monday show. “It’s quite selfish in way — I play what I like.” 2010 ‘Insight’ – Video by noiselabtv I’m loving my life. I have a band called Jet Lag. I have a radio show also called Jet Lag . I have collaborations with Junior Sanchez and he’s got a band called Team Facelift and I’m helping out. I also produced a band called The Bowery Riots, and I did a remix for The Tokyo Police Club. I’m pretty busy. A lot more busy than in Manchester. Which was the whole point. I don’t even own a TV any more! I’ll continue till they put me into the ground. I don’t think you can retire from playing music. This is my love, this is my passion.

2009 The Cribs – Bowery Ballroom – New York, New York – 12 November 2009 Andy with Johnny after The Cribs show Andy, Chris and Johnny – 2009 2006 Johnny Marr + The Healers – Manchester VS Cancer – MEN Arena – Manchester, UK – 28 January 2006 Manchester Vs Cancer – Organized by Andy Rourke Guitar/vocals on ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’, ‘Denial, Denial’, ‘Sparks Of Life’, ‘Down On The Corner’, and ‘How Soon Is Now?’ with Andy Rourke on bass, and guitar on ‘Viscious’ and ‘There’s A Ghost In My House’ with Bernard Sumner, guitar on ‘There Goes The Fear’ and ‘Wrote For Luck’ with Peter Hook on bass 1995 1986 Johnny Marr with Billy Bragg – Red Wedge Tour – Odeon – Birmingham, UK – 27 January 1986 Guitar on ‘A Lover Sings’ and guitar with Andy Rourke on ‘Back To The Old House’ and guitar/vocals on ‘The Last Time’ with Andy Rourke

 Johnny Marr with Billy Bragg – Red Wedge Tour – Apollo – Manchester, UK – 25 January 1986 Guitar on ‘A Lover Sings’ and guitar with Andy Rourke on ‘Back To The Old House’ and guitar/vocals on ‘The Last Time’ with Andy Rourke and guitar on ‘Moving On Up’ ‘The Last Time’ – Video by jimmod123 Andy, Billy Bragg and Johnny on Red Wedge Tour – 1986 The Smiths were always a political band, resolutely anti-monarchist, antiwar and contemptuous of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, attitudes Mr.

Marr has retained. Morrissey absorbed much of the controversy his lyrics generated, but all four members shared a similar outlook, which Mr. Fletcher’s book traces to their working-class and Irish-immigrant origins. “In the U.K. if you were born Northern solidly working-class, that part of you is not going to change,” Mr. Fletcher said. “And Johnny came from a very poor background. The politics has always been there, and has not changed with success.” Mr. Rourke agreed, citing the Red Wedge tour he and Mr. Marr made in support of the Labour Party in the mid-’80s. “If you’ve been downtrodden yourself, it’s something you pay attention to,” he said. “So we were always standing up for the poor guy, for Labour and against conservatism.” The Smiths band Concerts The Smiths were a rock band which formed in 1982 in Manchester, England, United Kingdom. The band consisted of Morrissey (vocals, lyrics), Johnny Marr (guitar, music), Mike Joyce (drums) and Andy Rourke (bass).

Hugely influential, The Smiths lasted all of five years from 1982 to 1987, releasing during this period four studio albums (The Smiths, Meat Is Murder, The Queen Is Dead and Strangeways, Here We Come) and three compilation albums (Hatful Of Hollow, The World Won't Listen and Louder Than Bombs). Band From: United Kingdom, Manchester - England Band Members: Original line-up (1982-1987): Morrissey (vocals, piano), Johnny Marr (guitars, keyboards), Andy Rourke (bass guitar, cello), and Mike Joyce (drums, backing vocals) BBC NEWS | UK | England | Manchester | Smiths stars unite for cancer gig Smiths stars unite for cancer gig Johnny Marr (l) and Andy Rourke performed two Smiths song Two former members of iconic 1980s band The Smiths performed at a benefit concert in aid of Manchester cancer hospital Christies on Saturday. The Manchester versus Cancer gig at the MEN Arena saw Johnny Marr and Andy Rourke reunited on stage for the first time in almost 20 years. Rourke organised the gig after hearing his manager's sister had cancer.

The duo played two Smiths' classics - How Soon Is Now and There Is A Light That Never Goes Out. New Order rolled back the years performing Joy Division songs. The Stone Roses' Mani, and Badly Drawn Boy were also performing. Other artists included fellow Mancunians Bez, Elbow, Doves, Mr Scruff, Stephen Fretwell and Nine Black Alps. Johnny Marr (l) and Andy Rourke lead a host of musicians Johnny Marr and Andy Rourke have not played together in public since the four-piece band - led by singer Morrissey - split acrimoniously in 1987. The event ended with a grande finale with most musicians on stage for the Happy Mondays Wrote For Luck. "It was like Manchester's Let It Be," said organiser Steven Chapman. Andy Rourke said before the gig: "All the musicians in Manchester know each other anyway, so we are just going to get them all to intermingle and jam and do cover versions." The Smiths made four studio albums - including The Queen is Dead and Meat is Murder - and had three top ten hits in the 1980s before they split. After the group disbanded Morrissey embarked on a solo career.

In 2004 he released his first album for seven years, You are the Quarry. Rourke has played in many bands since The Smiths, some alongside The Smiths drummer Mike Joyce. The Smiths' Johnny Marr and Andy Rourke Reunite in Brooklyn to Play 'How Soon Is Now?' - Rolling Stone The Smiths' Johnny Marr and Andy Rourke Reunite in Brooklyn to Play 'How Soon Is Now?' The Smiths' Johnny Marr and Andy Rourke Reunite in Brooklyn to Play 'How Soon Is Now?' Marr closes solo show with surprise reunion All Stories One night before concluding his solo headlining tour of the United States, former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr surprised his crowd at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn by inviting his former bandmate Andy Rourke onstage. The childhood friends raced through their former group's hit "How Soon Is Now?" More News Johnny Marr on His Solo Debut and All Those Smiths Reunion Rumors After a solo set in support of his recent and first solo album, The Messenger , Marr returned for a multi-song encore that included a cover of "I Fought the Law," the blazing outsider anthem written by the Crickets and popularized by the Clash .

Before Marr's final song, he introduced the bassist (who now lives in New York) with a sweet tribute. "When I was 15, I formed one of the first bands with my best friend. He was at that time one of the best musicians I'd ever heard; we were just kids," he recalled. "Then in 1982, I formed a band in Manchester and I asked my best friend to come and play the bass with me, and he was still one of the best musicians I'd ever heard. And tonight, 30 years later, I'm gonna invite one of my best friends in the world – and he's still one of the best musicians I've ever heard." Check out Marr and Rourke's joyous run through their former group's 1985 hit, Marr pinch-hitting for Morrissey's mewling vocals. It may be the closest to a Smiths reunion that Brooklyn – or the world – will see. Don’t Miss a Story Sign up for our newsletter to receive breaking news directly in your inbox. We may use your e-mail address to send you the newsletter and offers that may interest you, on behalf of Rolling Stone and its partners.

For more information please read our Privacy Policy How we use your email address Trending Ranked on a scale from 1 to 10, the trending score reflects the number of users reading a story in real time. What is this? The Smiths The Smiths Left to right: Andy Rourke, Morrissey, Johnny Marr, Mike Joyce. Background information Johnny Marr & The Healers, Modest Mouse Members Dale Hibbert (bass guitar) Craig Gannon (bass guitar, rhythm guitar) The Smiths were an English rock group active from 1982 to 1987. The group was based on the songwriting partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr, and were signed to the independent record label Rough Trade Records. Considered by some critics to be the most important alternative rock band to emerge from the British indie scene of the 1980s, the Smiths have had a major influence on subsequent alternative music, including the Britpop movement and bands such as The Stone Roses, Gene, Radiohead, Blur, Suede, Oasis , The Libertines, The Verve and Doves.

At the time, the group was notable in particular for two things: Morrissey's unusual, witty, and controversial lyrics, and Marr's music, which helped return guitar-based music to popularity after it had fallen out of favour in the UK charts. The group released a total of four studio albums and several compilations in fewer than five years, as well as numerous singles. Although not commercially successful outside the UK while they were still together, The Smiths won a growing following both at home and overseas in the closing years of the twentieth century, and they remain cult and commercial favourites to this day. History The group was formed in early 1982 by two Manchester residents. Morrissey (Steven Patrick Morrissey, though he does not use his forenames) was an unemployed writer who was a big fan of the New York Dolls and briefly fronted punk rock band The Nosebleeds. Johnny Marr (originally John Maher, he changed his name to avoid confusion with the Buzzcocks drummer) was already a very skillful guitarist with a talent for songwriting, and he provided the music for Morrissey's lyrics throughout the group's career. Mike Joyce was recruited as drummer after a short audition.

He had previously played with the punk bands The Hoax and Victim. Dale Hibbert initially played bass, and provided demo recording facilities at the studio where he worked as a sound engineer. However, after two gigs, Marr's friend Andy Rourke replaced Hibbert. Marr and Rourke had previously worked together in The Paris Valentinos along with Kevin Kennedy, who later became a household name in Britain as Curly Watts in the television show Coronation Street . The precise origin of the band's name is unknown, although they stated that it was a reaction against names they considered fancy and pompous such as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Another theory regarding the origin of the band's name suggests that it was an ironic joke to give the band a quintessentially English name when all of the band members were of Irish descent. Somewhat contrarily, in a 1984 interview Morrissey stated, "I decided [to call ourselves "The Smiths"] because it was the most ordinary name, and I think it's time that the ordinary folk of the world showed their faces." . The band also considered the names "Smiths Family" and "Smithdom" before settling on "The Smiths".

Signing to indie label Rough Trade Records, they released their first single, " Hand in Glove," on 13 May 1983. That record, like all of their later singles, was championed by DJ John Peel, but failed to chart. The follow-ups " This Charming Man" and " What Difference Does It Make?" fared better, however. Aided by much praise from the music press and a series of studio sessions for Peel and David Jensen at BBC Radio 1, The Smiths began to acquire a dedicated fan base—which, particularly in the case of Morrissey himself, continues to be something of a cult following. Morrissey's lyrics, while superficially depressing, were often full of mordant humour (The Smiths were "one of the few bands capable of making me laugh out loud," said Peel) and his lovelorn tales of alienation found an audience amongst a disaffected section of youth culture, bored by the ubiquitous synthesizer bands that then dominated the charts. Morrissey wrote about ordinary things, social statements of life, and everything from despair, rejection, and death, to vegetarianism and the English music scene. The group also had a very distinctive visual style.

Album and single covers featured colourful images of film and pop stars, usually in duotone, designed by Morrissey and Rough Trade art coordinator Jo Slee. Single covers rarely featured any text other than the band name, and the band themselves did not appear on the outer cover of any UK release. (Morrissey did, however, appear on an alternative cover for "What Difference Does It Make?", mimicking the pose of the original subject Terence Stamp, after the latter objected to his image being used.) The "cover stars" were an indication of Morrissey's personal interests — obscure or cult film stars (Stamp, Jean Marais, Joe Dallesandro, James Dean), figures from 1960s British culture ( Viv Nicholson, Pat Phoenix, Yootha Joyce, Shelagh Delaney), or pictures of unknown models taken from old film or magazine photos. In contrast to the 1980s obsession with exotic fashion, typified by new romantic artists such as Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran , and highlighted in magazines such as The Face and i-D, the group dressed mainly in ordinary clothes — jeans and plain shirts — which reflected the "back to basics" style of the music.

Morrissey occasionally affected props such as a (fake) hearing aid (supporting a female fan who was ashamed of using one; see Morrissey & Marr: The Severed Alliance by Johnny Rogan for more detail), thick-rimmed NHS-style eyeglasses and most famously bunches of flowers (often stuffed casually into the back of his trousers). The Smiths By February 1984, The Smiths fanbase was sufficiently large to launch the band's long-awaited self-titled debut album to number two in the UK chart. Its mood was unremittingly bleak, exemplified by such track titles as "Still Ill" and " Suffer Little Children," the latter referring to the Moors Murders that had stunned not just Manchester but the whole of Britain in the 1960s. Also evident were Morrissey's studied references to literature and popular culture icons. His frequent acknowledgment of his many idols ( Alain Delon, James Dean, and Oscar Wilde particularly) in interviews, along with more lyrical subtle reference (the song title "Pretty Girls Make Graves," for example, is taken from Jack Kerouac ) encouraged a literary bent amongst fans, who already had a tendency towards bookishness.

Both " Reel Around the Fountain" and " The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" met with controversy, supposedly being suggestive of paedophilia. In addition, " Suffer Little Children" caused an uproar after the grandfather of one of the murdered children heard it on a pub jukebox. In spite of the uproar, the song is in fact entirely sympathetic to the children's plight and led to Morrissey establishing a friendship with Ann West, the mother of victim Lesley Ann Downey, who is mentioned by name in the song. Shortly after the release of the album, Morrissey idol Sandie Shaw recorded "Hand in Glove" backed by Marr, Rourke, and Joyce. The hit single resulted in the band performing barefoot (a Sandie Shaw trademark) on Top of the Pops .

1984 also saw the release of a couple of singles which were not taken from the album: " Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" (the band's first top ten hit; the title parodies Sandie Shaw's '60s hit "Heaven Knows I'm Missing Him Now"), and "William, It Was Really Nothing" (popularly believed to have been written by Morrissey about his friend Billy Mackenzie, lead singer of The Associates, and which featured one of The Smiths' most well-known songs, " How Soon Is Now?," as a B-side). The year ended with the compilation album Hatful of Hollow. This album collected singles, B-sides and the versions of songs which had been recorded throughout the previous year for the Peel and Jensen shows. The radio session versions were felt by many (including the band) to be superior to those released on singles and the debut album. Meat Is Murder Early in 1985 the band released their second album, Meat Is Murder.

This album was more strident and political than its predecessor, including the vegetarian proselytizing of the title track (Morrissey forbade the rest of the group from being photographed eating meat), the light-hearted republicanism of "Nowhere Fast," and the anti- corporal punishment "The Headmaster Ritual" and "Barbarism Begins at Home." Musically, also, the band had grown more adventurous, with Marr adding rockabilly riffs to " Rusholme Ruffians" and Rourke playing a funk bass solo on "Barbarism Begins at Home." The album was preceded by the re-release of the B-side "How Soon is Now?" as a single, and although that song was not on the original LP, it has been added to subsequent releases. Meat Is Murder was the band's only album (barring compilations) to reach number one in the UK charts. As well as the album being more political than its predecessor, Morrissey brought a political stance to many of his interviews, courting further controversy. Among his targets were the Thatcher administration, the Monarchy, and Band Aid.

Morrissey famously quipped of the last, "One can have great concern for the people of Ethiopia , but it's another thing to inflict daily torture on the people of England." The subsequent single "Shakespeare's Sister" (not taken from the album) was not a great success in chart terms, nor was the only single taken from the album, "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore." Many considered this an odd choice for a single, with its backwards guitar and lack of any consistent hook. The charts reflected this, with it barely cracking the top 50. September 1985's "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side," however, was an indication of bigger things to come. The Queen Is Dead During 1985 the band completed exhausting tours of the UK and the US while recording the next studio record, The Queen Is Dead. The album was released in June 1986, shortly after the single "Bigmouth Strikes Again." A typical mixture of the mordantly bleak (e.g. "Never Had No One Ever," which seemed to play up to stereotypes of the band), the dry humour of (e.g. "Frankly, Mr.

Shankly," allegedly a message to Rough Trade boss Geoff Travis disguised as a letter of resignation from a worker to his superior) and a number of songs that synthesised both of these sides (such as " There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" and "Cemetry Gates"), the record reached number two in the UK chart, and is now generally thought of as their best work. In 1989 SPIN magazine rated The Queen Is Dead as number one of "The Greatest Albums Ever Made." Subsequent "Greatest Albums" lists by numerous music publications have placed the album at the top or within the top ten, including the NME and Melody Maker. In June 2006, the NME even dedicated an entire issue to the twentieth anniversary of the record's release. However, all was not well within the group. A legal dispute with Rough Trade had delayed the album by almost seven months (it had been completed in November 1985), and Marr was beginning to feel the stress of the band's exhausting schedule. He later told NME, "'Worse for wear' wasn't the half of it; I was extremely ill. By the time the tour actually finished it was all getting a little bit...

dangerous. I was just drinking more than I could handle." Meanwhile, Rourke was fired from the band in early 1986 due to ongoing problems with heroin. He received notice of his dismissal via a Post-it note stuck to his car windscreen. It read, "Andy - you have left The Smiths. Goodbye and good luck, Morrissey." Rourke was temporarily replaced on bass by Craig Gannon, but was reinstated after only a fortnight. Gannon was retained and switched to rhythm guitar. This five-piece recorded the singles " Panic" and " Ask" (with Kirsty MacColl on backing vocals), and toured the United Kingdom ; after the tour ended in October 1986, Gannon was fired. Strangeways, Here We Come 1987 started off well for the band. The single " Shoplifters of the World Unite" (one of Morrissey's favourite Smiths songs) was released early in the year to chart success—as well as mild controversy and concern from parents over whether the song encouraged children to thieve.

This was followed by a second compilation, The World Won't Listen (the title was Morrissey's comment on his frustration with the band's lack of mainstream recognition, although ironically the album reached number two in the charts), and the single "Sheila Take a Bow," the band's second (and last during the band's lifetime) UK top 10 hit. Another compilation, Louder Than Bombs, was intended for the overseas market and covered much the same material as The World Won't Listen, with the addition of "Sheila Take a Bow" and material from Hatful of Hollow, as that compilation was yet to be released in the States. Despite their continued success, personal differences within the band — including the increasingly strained relationship between Morrissey and Marr — saw them on the verge of splitting. In August 1987, it was announced that Marr had left the group. Auditions to find a replacement for Marr — with Roddy Frame supposedly being lined up to join the band at one point — proved fruitless, and by the time Strangeways, Here We Come (named after Strangeways Prison, Manchester) was released in September, the band had ceased to exist.

The breakdown in the relationship has been primarily attributed to Morrissey becoming annoyed with Marr's work with other artists, and Marr growing frustrated by Morrissey's musical inflexibility. Marr in particular hated Morrissey's obsession with covering 1960s pop artists such as Twinkle and Cilla Black. Referring to the songs recorded in the band's last session together (B-sides for the "Girlfriend in a Coma" single, which preceded the album's release), Marr said, "I wrote " I Keep Mine Hidden," but "Work Is a Four Letter Word" I hated. That was the last straw, really. I didn't form a group to perform Cilla Black songs." Strangeways peaked at number two in the UK but was only a minor US hit. The track "Paint a Vulgar Picture" proved somewhat prophetic in foretelling how the group's songs would be "reissued and repackaged" in seemingly innumerable compilations. The infamous 30-second video for "Girlfriend in a Coma" garnered video rotation on MTV in America. The album received a lukewarm reception from critics, but all four members name it as their favourite Smiths album.

A couple of further singles from the album were released with earlier live, session, and demo tracks as B-sides, and the following year the live album Rank (recorded in 1986 while Gannon was in the band) repeated the UK chart success of previous albums. Post-Smiths careers Following the group's demise, Morrissey immediately began work on a solo effort, collaborating with Strangeways... producer Stephen Street and fellow Mancunian Vini Reilly, guitarist for The Durutti Column. The resulting album, Viva Hate (a reference to the end of the Smiths), was released six months later, reaching number one in the UK charts. Morrissey continues to perform and record as a solo artist. Johnny Marr returned to the music scene in 1989 with New Order's Bernard Sumner and Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant in the supergroup Electronic. Electronic released three albums over the next decade. Marr was also a member of The The, recording two albums with the group between 1989 and 1993. Marr has also worked as a session musician and writing collaborator for artists including The Pretenders, Pet Shop Boys, Billy Bragg, Black Grape, and Beck.

In 2000 he started another band, Johnny Marr and the Healers, with a moderate degree of success, and would later work as a guest musician on the Oasis album Heathen Chemistry. In addition to his work as a recording artist, Marr has worked as a record producer. In 2006 Marr began work with Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock(2007) on songs that would eventually feature on the band's 2007 release, We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank. The band subsequently announced that Marr was a fully-fledged member and the reformed line-up toured extensively throughout 2006-07. Marr has also been recording music with Liam Gallagher of Oasis . Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce have continued working together, including doing session work for Morrissey (1988–1989) and Sinéad O'Connor, as well as working apart. Rourke has recorded and toured with Proud Mary and is currently forming a supergroup with fellow bassists Peter Hook (of New Order and Joy Division) and Mani (of The Stone Roses and Primal Scream), called Freebass.

He has recently started a radio career, hosting a show on Saturday evenings on XFM Manchester. Unfinished business The Smiths were reunited in court in 1996 to settle a royalties claim by Joyce against Morrissey and Marr, who had claimed the lion's share of the Smiths recording and performance royalties and allowed only ten percent each to Joyce and Rourke (composition royalties were not an issue, as Rourke and Joyce had never been credited as composers for the band). Morrissey and Marr claimed that the other two members of the band had always agreed to that split of the royalties, but the court found in favour of Joyce, and ordered that he be paid over £1m in back pay and receive twenty-five percent henceforth. As Smiths royalties had been frozen for two years, being under financial pressure Rourke settled for a smaller lump sum to pay off debts, and continued to receive ten percent. Morrissey was described by the judge as "devious, truculent and unreliable." The singer later said, "The court case was a potted history of the life of The Smiths. Mike, talking constantly and saying nothing. Andy, unable to remember his own name. Johnny, trying to please everyone and consequently pleasing no one.

And Morrissey under the scorching spotlight in the dock, being drilled. 'How dare you be successful?' 'How dare you move on?' To me, The Smiths were a beautiful thing and Johnny left it, and Mike has destroyed it." . Morrissey's 1997 solo album Maladjusted included a song titled "Sorrow Will Come in the End" which commented on the case, and which was omitted from the UK version of the album due to fear of libel action. Morrissey (but not Marr) appealed against the verdict, but was not successful . Things heated up once more in late November of 2005. While appearing on radio station BBC 6 Music, Mike Joyce claimed to be having financial problems, and said that he had resorted to selling rare band recordings on eBay. As a teaser, a few minutes of an unfinished instrumental track known as "The Click Track" was premiered on the show.

Morrissey hit back at Joyce with a public statement shortly after, on the website Relations between Joyce and Rourke cooled significantly as a result of Morrissey's statement which revealed that Joyce had misled the Courts by not declaring that, amongst others, Rourke was entitled to assets seized by his lawyers from Morrissey. Rourke, it stated, had been deprived of royalty payments from Morrissey as they had already been covertly seized by Joyce who was obligated to declare that others (Rourke, Lillywhite, and Street) had an interest in funds he wished to seize. The future of The Smiths As a result of the court case, a Smiths reunion seemed like it would almost certainly never happen, despite the apparent thawing of relations between Marr and Morrissey in recent years. Both Johnny Marr and Morrissey have repeatedly said in interviews that there is no way a reformation will ever take place. In 2005, VH1 attempted to get the band back together for a reunion on its Bands Reunited show. The show abandoned its attempt after its host Aamer Haleem was unsuccessful in his attempt to corner Morrissey before a show.

In December 2005 it was announced that Johnny Marr and The Healers would play at Manchester v Cancer, a benefit show for cancer research being organised by Andy Rourke and his production company, Great Northern Productions. Rumours suggested that a Smiths reunion would occur at this concert, but were dispelled by Johnny Marr on his website. What did eventuate was Rourke joining Marr onstage for the first time since The Smiths broke up, performing "How Soon Is Now?". Morrissey refuses to reunite with his old band members, going as far as to say that he would “rather eat [his] own testicles than re-form The Smiths, and that’s saying something for a vegetarian.” In March 2006 Morrissey revealed that the Smiths were offered five million dollars to reunite for a performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which he turned down, saying, "No, because money doesn't come into it." He further explained, "It was a fantastic journey. And then it ended. I didn't feel we should have ended. I wanted to continue. [Marr] wanted to end it.

And that was that." When asked why he would not reform with The Smiths, Morrissey responded “I feel as if I’ve worked very hard since the demise of the Smiths and the others haven’t, so why hand them attention that they haven’t earned? We are not friends, we don’t see each other. Why on earth would we be on a stage together?” Discography Andy Rourke | The Smiths Museum The Smiths Museum Andy Rourke Rough Trade Promotional Postcard Andrew Michael Rourke was born on January 17, 1964 in Manchester, England. His father, Michael Rourke, came from an Irish lineage that had emigrated to England several generations back, and his mother, Mary Stones, was of English heritage. The couple married as teenagers and had four children in less than ten years, all of whom were boys. Andrew, or Andy, as he was always known, was their third child and was raised along with elder brothers Christopher and Phillip, as well as younger brother John. They settled into a house on Hawthorn Lane in Ashton-upon-Mersey, located between Morrissey’s native Stretford and Marr’s home in Wythenshawe.

Early on during his childhood Andy adopted his mother’s love of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and, like Marr, frequently requested musical instruments for his annual gift. First receiving a plastic trumpet, then an electric organ, and eventually a plastic guitar for Christmas in 1970. After insisting that, “real guitars were made of wood,” Andy received an acoustic guitar three weeks later for his seventh birthday. He began taking lessons soon after, and practiced by playing along to his mother’s Beach Boys compilation and “whatever song came up” on the radio. Years passed and Andy’s brothers, Christopher and Phillip, had been admitted to two of the finest Catholic secondary schools, St. Ambrose and De La Salle, but after primary school Andy was destined for a separate path; a non-denominational state school located just three miles east of the Rourke’s then-current residence. Unwilling to accept Andy’s attendance at Stretford Grammar, his mother saw to it that the local priest put in a good word with the headmaster at St. Augustine’s, a Catholic secondary school located in Wythenshawe. Though a troublesome two-hour commute each way, Andy would begin at St.

Augustine’s the same week as Johnny Marr, but in a different class. In 1975, during his first year at St. Augustine’s, Andy’s mother left the family to work as a nanny for an American millionaire, a man with whom she would eventually settle down, on the island of Majorca. His father, who worked as an architect overseeing roofing projects across the country, was now forced to leave the boys home alone for up to four nights a week. The emotional turmoil, lack of supervision, and influence of his oldest brother, Christopher, inevitably lead Andy to begin experimenting with drugs at an early age. Smoking weed, at first, and then selling it out the back window of his father’s house. This “domestic dysfunction” unsurprisingly followed Andy to school and landed him in the group of perceived troublemakers. One of who was a boy named Phil Powell, who would eventually become Johnny Marr’s “personal roadie, lodger, and right-hand man,” during the touring years of The Smiths. In hopes of breaking up the group before any serious trouble occurred, Andy and Phil were transferred at the end of the first year, to a class that just so happened to include Marr.

Initially bonding over a Neil Young badge that Johnny had worn on top of his school blazer, the pair spent lunch breaks jamming together in the music room. Andy was slightly more knowledgeable about guitar at the time, having taken lessons and started playing from an earlier age, but Johnny was a quick learner. “I would show him everything I knew.” said Rourke, “But then the next week he’d have taken it to a whole new level.” By the age of thirteen they knew they wanted to be in a band, and thus formed the Paris Valentinos with two older lads, Kevin Kennedy on bass and Bobby Durkin on drums. They began rehearsing at Durkin’s house until noise complaints from his mother forced them to look elsewhere. Striking a deal with the priest at Sacred Heart’s church, where Bobby’s father ran the social club, the boys were allowed to practice in the church hall if they agreed to play guitar at the weekly Folk Mass, obligingly doing so for the next few months. The practices consisted of the band-covering artists such as Rory Gallagher, Tom Petty, Thin Lizzy, and the Rolling Stones, all the while Johnny honing his skills as both a guitar player and a leader.

Recognizing his friends’ strengths and weakness, Johnny suggested that Andy take over on Bass and Kevin assume the role of the second guitarist. “It initially felt like a demotion” for Andy, who, “had not paid much attention to the bass in the past,” but he soon realized how much he enjoyed it and began to study and emulate the parts he heard on record, in particular from Gallagher’s bass player, Gerry McAvoy. The Paris Valentinos later played their first and only gig in June of 1977 at a Silver Jubilee Street Party, in honor of the queen’s twenty-five year reign. A few years later, and still yearning for the opportunity to turn music into a profession, Andy once again teamed up with Marr and Bobby Durkin to form a new band, White Dice, along with classically trained keyboardist Paul Whittall and Manchester guitar legend Rob Allman. He described their sound as a, “very American soft rock,” which was popular at the time, and intriguing enough for London based F-Beat Records to invite the group to the capital to record a six song demo. Lacking “that spark or edge,” admitted Rourke, the demo was ultimately rejected and White Dice ceased to roll shortly after.

As the band came to an end, so too did Rourke and Marr’s time at St. Augustine’s. Having caused his fair share of trouble while attending, Rourke was punished by not being allowed to take his final exams; “These cost the school money and you’re a waste of money,” he recalls them saying. So, unlike Marr, he decided not to further his education and instead took a manual labor job at Snap-on Tools. Andy worked there for several months until he had saved up enough money for a bass amp and then quit. As his father remained frequently un-present, and his older brothers transitioned their sales “from pot to smack,” Andy found himself experimenting with heroin. Afraid of needles he resorted mostly to smoking, and occasionally snorting the drug. He liked it, Johnny did not, and the Rourke household was slowly being consumed by it. And when the drugs finally became the primary connection of the household, Johnny packed his things and left. Moving forward Andy would drift through a series of menial jobs, not speaking to Marr for several months until the call came that The Smiths were in need of a bassist.

The Smiths The Smiths of the 1975 St Augustine's intake were later the guitarist and bassist in the 80s rock band "The Smiths". Comments from the '74 entry: Johnnie Maher was in the year below. I am quite sure of this since he and Andy Rourke were both in the choir and caused an almighty stir by deciding not to be (a thing hitherto unthinkable for a choir member). The other reason I remember this is that I had more than one ignominious confrontation with them 'in the call of duty' as a 5th form prefect(!). The band was formed in 1982 after Johnny Marr teamed up with lyricist Steven Morrissey to form their song writing duo. The 4th member was Mike Joyce as drummer. The band broke up in 1987. Rourke ended up backing Sinead O'Connor. Marr moved from the Pretenders to The The to Electronic. Battles over unequal profit shares later brought the band together again in the High Court Songs Their hit singles included Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now and Girlfriend in a Coma.

Albums included The Smiths, Hatful of Hollow, Meat is Murder, The Queen is Dead, The World Won't Listen, Louder than Bombs, Strangeways Here We Come and Rank. Suffer Little Children and Headmaster Ritual both caused considerable controversy. From "Morrissey & Marr The Severed Alliance " by Johnny Rogan IBSN 0.7119.3000.7 Omnibus Press [Johnny Maher] "performed well enough to be allocated a place at the nearby St Augustine's Grammar. This venerable institution was overseen by the awesome Monsignor McGuinness [sic], whose clerical rank alone seemed enough to instill fear into many of the pupils in his charge. The school was a conventional Catholic boys' grammar of the period, with a traditional syllabus that included compulsory Latin during the first two years. Maher's academic performance was initially promising but tailed off disappointingly in the third year when the elitist St Augustine's amalgamated with two other schools and was reorganised along comprehensive lines as St John Pleasington.

[sic]" "A crackdown by Monsignor McGuinness resulted in several recalitrant pupils switching classes and Rourke suddenly found himself in Maher's form. A sympathetic teacher, Mr Thorpe, recognised Andy was having a troubled time and suggested that Johnny pal up with him." . . . "Rourke's recklessness caught up with him following a trip abroad when his drug flirtation was uncovered and he was placed under the supervisory eye of a social worker." "One teacher who held faith in Maher's ability was the head of music, Mr Jessett. He encouraged Johnny to enrol in a class for music theory, but even that experience was greeted half heartedly. 'It was just something that would get me off doing maths.'" The Smiths - Music on Google Play The Smiths About the artist The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. The band consisted of vocalist Morrissey, guitarist Johnny Marr, bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce. Critics have called them the most important alternative rock band to emerge from the British independent music scene of the 1980s.

Q magazine's Simon Goddard argued in 2007 that the Smiths were "the one truly vital voice of the '80s", "the most influential British guitar group of the decade" and the "first indie outsiders to achieve mainstream success on their own terms". The NME named the Smiths the "most influential artist ever" in a 2002 poll. Based on the songwriting partnership of Morrissey and Marr, the group signed to the independent record label Rough Trade Records, on which they released four studio albums, The Smiths, Meat Is Murder, The Queen Is Dead and Strangeways, Here We Come. Four of their albums appeared on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. They have also released several compilations, and numerous non-LP singles. 1 $9.49 Strangeways, Here We Come is the fourth and final studio album by the English rock band the Smiths. Released on 28 September 1987 by Rough Trade Records, it reached number two on the UK Albums Char... 1 1 $9.49 Meat Is Murder is the second studio album by the English rock band the Smiths.

It was released on 11 February 1985 by Rough Trade Records and became the band's sole number one album in the UK chart... 1 1 $9.49 The Smiths is the debut studio album by the English rock band The Smiths, recorded in 1983 and released on 20 February 1984 by record label Rough Trade. After the original production by Troy Tate w... 1 1 $12.49 The Sound of The Smiths is a Smiths compilation released on 10 November 2008. It is available as both single and double disc editions. Morrissey is credited with having coined the compilation's tit... 1 1 $23.99 The Sound of The Smiths is a Smiths compilation released on 10 November 2008. It is available as both single and double disc editions. Morrissey is credited with having coined the compilation's tit... 1 1 $47.49 Complete is a box set released by British band The Smiths on 26 September 2011.

Standard versions contain their four studio albums, a live album and three compilations over 8 CDs or 8 LPs. A deluxe... 1 1 $11.49 Louder Than Bombs is a compilation album by the English rock band The Smiths. It was released as a double album in March 1987 by their American record company, Sire Records. Its highest chart posit... 1 1 $11.49 The World Won't Listen is a compilation album by The Smiths. It was released in February 1987 by their record company, Rough Trade Records, and reached No. 2 on the British charts, staying on the c... 1 Morrissey 0 Steven Patrick Morrissey, professionally known as Morrissey, is an English singer, songwriter and author. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the indie rock band The Smiths, which was activ... 0 The Cure 0 The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex, in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the...

0 Joy Division 0 Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band consisted of singer Ian Curtis, guitarist and keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bas... 0 New Order 0 New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980, currently comprising Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, Gillian Gilbert, Phil Cunningham and Tom Chapman. The band was formed in 1980 by Sumner, Morr... 0 Echo & the Bunnymen 0 Echo & the Bunnymen are an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplement... 0 The Psychedelic Furs 0 The Psychedelic Furs are an English rock band founded in London in 1977. Led by singer Richard Butler and his brother Tim Butler on bass guitar, the Psychedelic Furs are one of the many acts spawne... 0 Johnny Marr 0 Johnny Marr is an English musician, songwriter and singer.

Between 1982 and 1987 he was the guitarist and – with Morrissey – co-songwriter of The Smiths, an English rock band formed in Manchester. ... 0 The Jesus And Mary Chain 0 The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid. They released a... 0 Siouxsie & The Banshees 0 Siouxsie and the Banshees were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. Initially associated with the English punk rock scene, the... 0 Pulp 0 Pulp were an English rock band formed in Sheffield in 1978. Their best-known line-up from their heyday consisted of Jarvis Cocker, Candida Doyle, Russell Senior, Mark Webber, Steve Mackey and Nick ... 0 Cocteau Twins 0 Cocteau Twins were a Scottish rock band active from 1979 to 1997.

The original members were singer Elizabeth Fraser, guitarist Robin Guthrie, and bassist Will Heggie, who was replaced by multi-inst... 0 Suede 0 Suede are an English alternative rock band formed in London in 1989. The group is composed of singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Richard Oakes, bass player Mat Osman, drummer Simon Gilbert and keyboa... 0 Bauhaus 0 Bauhaus were an English post-punk band, formed in Northampton, England in 1978. The group consisted of Peter Murphy, Daniel Ash, Kevin Haskins and David J. The band was originally named Bauhaus 191... 0 The Clash 0 The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, dub, funk, ska and rockabill... 0

Question: Which Manchester band had Johnny Marr and Andy Rourke as members?
Answer: THE SMITHS